Orchard heater



Jan. 21, 1936. A, s HA M 2,028,327.

ORCHARD HEATER Filed NOV. 4, 1933 Arm/aver Patented Jan. 21, 1936 UNITED STATES ORCHARD HEATER Wayne A. S. Harmon, Los Angeles, Calif., as-

signor, by mesne assignments, to California Orchard Heater Company, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application November 4, 1933, Serial No. 696.656

6 Claims.

My invention relates to orchard heaters, and

particularly to burners therefor or to stacks thereof.

The objects of my invention are:

First, to provide an eliicient orchard heater, one in which substantially all of the fuel is consumed and which is substantially smokeless, and such a heater which is relatively simple and economical of construction and operation;

Second, to provide air inlet means for orchard heater stacks, or burners of this character, whereby air is admitted to the advancing flame or combustion of the fuel, in gradually decreasing quantities to the different and respec-. tively advanced stages of the combustion thereof, thus adding oxygen'only as needed and thereby burning substantially all of the fuel;

Third, to provide air inlet means for orchard heaters, or burners of this character, whereby air is admitted substantially tangentially to the advancing flame, or combustion of fuel, at progressively increasing angles to the general direction of flow of the burning gases constituting the combustion of fuel, thereby whirling the burning gases; and thereby retarding the upwardor outward progress. thereof, and, in this way, holding the combustion, and therefore the heat, at the lower end of the stack of orchard heaters.

With these and other objects in view, I have devised an orchard heater and burner means having certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts and portions as will hereinafter be described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the characters of reference thereon, which form part of this application, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of an orchard heater embodying the invention, showing the stack and a portion of the generator in section; Figs. 2 and 3 are transverse sectional views thereof, taken respectively on the lines 22 and 3-3 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of the stack, showing particularly the arrangement of the air inlets.

Like characters of reference refer to similar parts and portions throughout the views of the drawing.

The embodiment of my invention, as shown in the drawing, consists essentially of a generating bowl I, a base 2, a combustion chamber memher 3, a stack member 4, and a flame expander 5.

The bowl I is similar to the one commonly used in orchard heaters for containing a supply of fuel oil and for vaporizing the same prior to combustion for heating. The bowlis provided with a cover 6, having a central opening 6 and an upwardly extending flange! around the opening.

At the central portion of the base 2 is located a tubular neck 8, which extends upwardly and downwardly and supports the base on the cover 6 around the collar 1. This tubular neck is provided with outwardly directed ports 8 formed by punching portions of the side wall outwardly, so as to admit gaseous fuel to the bottom of the combustion chamber A in a spiral direction or whirling motion. In the bottom of the base, and near the periphery thereof, are provided air inlet ports 2 which are formed by punching portions of the wall upwardly, so as to give the admitted air a helical action or whirling motion. These air ports, are positioned adjacent the fuel ports so'that the fuel is immediately mixed with air.

At the upper end of the tubular neck is supported the flame expander 5, which isa hollow member and shaped as an inverted truncated cone, extending laterally, beyond the tubular neck and thence upwardly in a diverging manner. Between the peripheral walls of the flame expander and the combustion chamber member 3 is formed an annular combustion chamber. The flame expander is so positioned that the rising flame or burning gases are forced outwardly by the flame expander against the outer wall of the combustion chamber member and the stack member 4, the latter of which is cone shaped but extends upwardly substantially as a continuation of the wall of the combustion chamber member.

In the peripheral wall of the combustion chamber member, and directly opposite the flame expander, are provided a plurality of vertically spaced apart circumferential rows or series of ports 3*, the location, arrangement, and construction of which comprise an important feature of thisinvention. These ports are preferably all struck inwardly and positioned at an angle. The ports in each row or series are of progressively smaller cross-section from the lower to the upper ports, that is, from the fuel inlet ports 8 to the top of the annular fire box,

for admitting, only as required for complete combustion, air or oxygen in gradually decreased quantities to the different and respectively advanced stages of combustion of the fuel. The axes of the ports in the several rows or series are also positioned at progressively increasing angles to the general direction of the flow of the burning gases from the lowermost to the uppermost ports. Such positioning of the ports retards the progress of the flame and, in this way, holds the combustion at the lower end of the stack, or within the firebox.

The bottom of the flame expander is connected with the bottom of the base by a plurality of tubes 9, which connect the lower end of the flame expander with the atmosphere, and thus admit air to the former. This flame expander is'provided with arcuate openings 5 at the upper end and at the periphery thereof, for mixing hot air with the burning gases after air is admitted through the ports 3 and after the burning gases or flame are forced outwardly against the wall of the combustion chamber member and stack member.

It will here be noted that the peripheral wall of the flame expander is heated to a high degree by reason of its proximity to the combustion chamber and because of its inclined or baffling position.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions, I do not wish to be limited to this particular construction, combination and arrangement, but desire to include in the scope of my invention the construction, combination, and arrangement, substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a heater, a combustion chamber member having a fuel inlet at one end, air inlet ports in the side wall thereof and an outlet at the opposite end, said ports being constructed to direct air into the combustion chamber member at progressively increasing angles to the general direction of flow of the burning gases from said inlet towards the outlet of the combustion chamber member.

2. In a heater, a combustion chamber member having a fuel inlet atone end, air inlet ports in the side wall thereof and an outlet at the opposite end, said ports being progressively smaller in cross-section from said inlet towards the outlet of the combusion chamber member, said ports being also constructed to direct air into the combustion chamber member at progressively increasing angles to the general direction of flow of the burning gases from said inlet towards the outlet of the combustion chamber member.

3. In a heater, a combustion chamber member having an inlet at the central portion of the lower end for admitting gaseous fuel, and a drum placed coaxially in said member above said inlet, the side wall of said combustion chamber member opposite said drum having air inlet ports of progressively smaller cross-section upwardly from the lower end of said member.

4. In a heater, a combustion chamber member having an inlet at the central portion of the lower end for admitting gaseous fuel, and a drum placed coaxially in said member above said inlet, the side wall of said combustion chamber member opposite said drum having air inlet ports, the axes of said ports being positioned at progressively increasing angles to the upward flow of the gaseous fuel through the combustion chamber member.

5. In a heater, a combustion chamber member having an inlet at the central portion of the lower end for admitting gaseous fuel, and a drum placed coaxially in said member above said inlet, the side wall of said combustion chamber member opposite said drum having air inlet ports of progressively smaller cross-section upwardly from the lower end of said member, the axes of said ports being also positioned at progressively increasing angles to the upward flow of the gaseous fuel through the combustion chamber member.

6. In a heater, a combustion chamber member having a fuel inlet at the lower end and directed outwardly, air inlet ports in the side wall thereof and an outlet at the opposite end, said ports being of progressively smaller cross-section from said inlet towards the outlet of the combustion chamber member.

WAYNE A. S. HARMON. 

